If you are a law firm trying to succeed in today’s technical climate, digital marketing strategies are a must.
Having a well-maintained and updated website, active social media accounts, quality articles, and robust online advertising are a must for law firms who want to succeed online.
Adding in high-quality content will pull everything together as you try to lure in some of the 3.4 billion people who browse the internet every day.
Digital marketing for law firms isn’t an option anymore. It’s something every law firm must-have.
To stay relevant and make sure you can compete with your local competition, your firm needs to develop a digital marketing strategy.
In the article below, we will go over several digital marketing tips to help your law firm grow in 2021 and beyond.
We’ll also discuss how law practice management software can play a key role in your law firm’s marketing efforts.
Table of Contents
- Develop Your Digital Marketing Plan
- Make Sure Your Website Is Working and Optimized
- Write High-Quality Helpful Content
- Use A Call-To-Action
- Stay Active On Social Media
- Reach Out For Reviews
- Engage In Email Marketing
- Get High-Quality Links
- Take Advantage of Live Chat
- Take Your Digital Marketing To The Next Level With Case Management Software
- Contact CoCounselor
Develop Your Digital Marketing Plan
First things first. Before you can market effectively online, you need to have a plan.
Having a strategy for your law firm’s internet marketing is vital to its success.
Marketers who document their digital strategies are 313% more likely to achieve success with them.
And there are easy ways to document your marketing that we will discuss a little later.
This all means that you shouldn’t randomly do things without a very detailed game plan.
Take a look at what the competition is doing, and if it seems to be working, implement it into your strategy.
And if you see holes in your competitors marketing strategy, make sure you take advantage of that in your strategy.
Make Sure Your Website Is Working and Optimized
Browsing websites is the new window shopping.
Your website is the face of your law firm online, and the first impression of your website can make or break your ability to land new clients.
Quality web design is important before you worry about any other marketing services.
Your law firm needs a powerful website to survive in the online legal world because the bulk of clients will come from the web from here on out.
Your website is the foundation of the rest of your marketing efforts. Without a reliable website and foundation, everything else is going to fall flat.
Your website should reflect the practices and values of your law firm.
Before getting started on any other aspect of your digital marketing plan, be sure your website is up-to-date, accurate, easy to navigate, and mobile responsive.
Write High-Quality Helpful Content
If you’ve ever looked into internet marketing, you’ve heard the phrase “content is king” enough times to make it cliche.
But, content marketing IS king.
Your potential clients are searching for legal content online because they need legal assistance.
High-quality content that utilizes search engine optimization and answers questions puts your law firm at the front of the line when it comes to them choosing a lawyer.
You need a good mix of short-form and long-form blog posts, but make sure all of your content is an answer to a question your clients may have.
To get your law firm visible online and in Google searches, you need to be a go-to resource for quality content that will help your clients.
It’s worth it to invest in well-written content, add it to your blog, and then share it on social.
If you can help your clients before they ever speak to you, you will never run out of potential leads.
Use A Call-To-Action
Every piece of content you write should have a call to action at the bottom.
You would be surprised to know how many law firms put out great content, but they don’t invite the reader to contact them.
When you’re writing content, know what the goal of the piece is and what you want the reader to do after they’ve read it.
Do you want them to schedule a free consultation? Sign up for your newsletter?
Whatever it is, be sure every piece of content leads the reader to a logical next step to engage with your firm.
Stay Active On Social Media
Everyone wants to be a social media expert these days, and that’s because everyone is aware of the power social media has.
Social media is the new word of mouth advertising.
Just about everyone you know is on social media, including your potential clients, so your firm needs to maintain professional profiles on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Social media allows you to build a relationship with your target audience so that they feel like they know you before they ever speak to you.
When you notice someone in your area asking a legal question on social media, you can respond to them via direct message, but it is better to do it in a comment so other people can see your answer and your social media page.
Always be sure you’re accessible. When someone tries to reach out on social media, and they don’t get a response, they’re going to move on.
Reach out for Reviews
Don’t be afraid to ask former clients for reviews. In the digital age, reviews are essential.
In 2015, Moz conducted a study that found that online reviews influence 67% of consumers.
That number has only gone up since then.
And in the legal field, your law firm’s reputation can guarantee success or failure, so positive online reviews are a must.
When someone starts the search for a lawyer, they are usually in a time of great need.
No matter what their reasons for needing a lawyer are, the reviews they read about the firms they are researching will either soothe their fears about a firm or just fan the flames.
If your online reviews instill trust in potential clients, they are much more likely to reach out for a free consultation.
The more reviews your firm has, the easier it is for potential clients to picture you, helping them with their problems.
And be sure you spread your reviews around between your website, your social media profiles, and any law-specific websites you are a part of.
Engage in Email Marketing
We mentioned earlier that a call to action could be an invitation to sign up for your newsletter.
A well-written newsletter, or any type of email blast, is a potent internet marketing tool.
Did you know that email marketing has the highest ROI of all internet marketing tactics?
Everyone online uses email, so that shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.
There are several ways to tap into the potential of email marketing, including a call to action at the end of an article, a subscription box on your website, or landing pages that give away something free in exchange for their email address.
Get High-Quality Links
This is one of the more advanced tips, but it can work wonders for your law firm if done right.
When another website links to your website, it lets the search engines know that your website is a valuable resource for its users. That, in turn, will improve your search rankings.
But make sure you don’t use any spammy links. They will do more harm than good.
Creating useful links isn’t as easy as it sounds. It requires time building relationships and, in some cases, a monetary investment.
But, link building is definitely worth the effort.
Take Advantage of Live Chat
The ability to chat live with potential clients is an absolute game-changer.
More than half of the people that use the web have used a live chat function to communicate with a company or brand.
It’s impossible to list all of the benefits of adding live chat to your website.
It can help you quickly turn a slight interest into a genuine lead as you answer their questions in real-time, almost forcing them to hire you.
But the Live Chat feature can backfire as well. It could quickly become the new pop-up window.
When a stereotypical prompt pops up, like “talk with a real person” pops up, it can turn off clients because it isn’t part of a natural conversation.
Instead of that, try a genuine introduction, like, “Thanks for visiting our website. If you have any questions, we’d be happy to take the time to answer them for you.”
Take Your Digital Marketing To The Next Level With Case Management Software
To tie everything together and make sure your digital marketing campaigns run like a well-oiled machine, your firm should be using law practice management software.
Practice management software, like CoCounselor, will not only track your digital marketing campaigns, allowing you to see what’s working and what isn’t, but it can also:
- Manage and track your referrals with automated emails and custom reports
- Track all new potential client calls and automatically create a new prospect record
- Keep a record of communication history with potential clients
- Gain visibility into all aspects of an individual case without having to flip to other screens or apps.
- Sync with your existing Google or Outlook calendars
- Define your case workflow with an automated set of tasks on every new prospect and case, providing an organized checklist for every employee
- …and so much more!
Using cloud-based practice management software is like strapping your digital marketing plan to a rocket.
Contact CoCounselor
If you’re ready to grow your law firm in 2021 and beyond, click the button below to request a demo of CoCounselor.